Parliamentary questions

Mike Watson

77 questions tabled in the Scottish Parliament, most recent first.

18 Jan 2000 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what percentage of Scottish Executive funding for the voluntary sector is allocated to black and ethnic minority organisations.

Answer · Jackie Baillie: Scottish Executive direct funding to the voluntary sector in 1998-99 totalled £23 million. Of this, £275,000 (1.2% of the total) was allocated to the Ethnic Minority Grant Scheme. The scheme provides grants to voluntary organisations in Scotland for projects …

17 Jan 2000 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive whether it contributed to the formulation of Her Majesty's Government's position regarding the Biosafety Protocol negotiations in Montreal and, if so, what views it put forward in the discussion.

Answer · Susan Deacon: Foreign Affairs are reserved to the Westminster Government. In recognition of our devolved responsibilities, Scottish Ministers were consulted on the development of the proposed UK negotiating line. The UK negotiating stance has subsequently been agreed with …

13 Jan 2000 · Written Question

Answer · Susan Deacon: Greater Glasgow Health Board was allocated 23.2% of NHS spend in Scotland in 1989-90, 19.3% in 1994-95 and 18.4% of the estimated expenditure in 1999-2000. These allocations have been based on the Scottish Health Authorities Revenue Equalisation (SHARE) formu…

18 Nov 1999 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive whether its plans for reform of agricultural holdings legislation will include giving tenant farmers a right to buy.

Answer · Ross Finnie: No. I have closely examined the pros and cons, and come to the conclusion that this is not the best way forward. I entirely understand why tenant farmers who may have farmed the land for many generations want the chance to own "their own" farms. But…

18 Nov 1999 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive Scottish Executive to provide details of its planned level of support for local authority non-housing capital spending for each local authority in the financial year 2000-01.

Answer · Jack McConnell: The table attached shows the provisional allocations I plan to notify to COSLA on 19 November. The table does not represent full support but only that which I am able to confirm at present. Gross allocations in column 2 of the table are made up from net alloc…

18 Nov 1999 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what arrangements have been made to determine the salaries of Special Advisers and how these arrangements will be administered.

Answer · Donald Dewar: A Special Advisers Remuneration Committee (Scotland) has been established to advise me and the Permanent Secretary on all aspects of Special Advisers pay and conditions. The members of the Committee are the Minister for Finance in the Chair, the Minister for …

18 Nov 1999 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive whether proceedings in the Westminster Parliament on the Mental Health (Amendment) (Scotland) Bill have now been completed.

Answer · Susan Deacon: The Mental Health Amendment (Scotland) Act 1999 received Royal Assent on 11 November, and comes into effect on 11 January 2000.The Act amends Section 94 of the Mental Health (Scotland) Act 1984 to allow hospital managers to continue to hold…

10 Nov 1999 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive when it will begin to publish bilateral concordats agreed between Whitehall Departments and their counterparts in the Executive.

Answer · Tom McCabe: The following bilateral concordats are being published today:MAFFDfEEDETRCabinet OfficeThe texts have been made available to the Parliament and are available in the Document Supply Centre and on the Executive's web site.

13 Oct 1999 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what conclusions it has reached on the budget submissions from Aberdeenshire, East Dunbartonshire and Perth and Kinross Councils.

Answer · Jack McConnell: I have considered the 3 submissions carefully. Although I appreciate the information provided by each Council, I am still not persuaded that the level of spending above guideline by the 3 councils is justified. It has already been annou…

8 Oct 1999 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what plans it has to submit views on the Biosafety Protocol to Her Majesty's Government.

Answer · Susan Deacon: Negotiations on the Biosafety Protocol resume in January 2000 and Scottish Ministers will play an active part in developing the UK's approach to the EU regulatory position.

29 Sep 1999 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what action it intends to take in support of the international campaign to bring epilepsy 'out of the shadows'.

Answer · Susan Deacon: The Scottish Executive Health Department will be meeting the costs of a conference on this very theme to be held by the Epilepsy Association Scotland in Dundee on 3 November 1999. I have accepted an invitation to deliver the opening address.

5 Aug 1999 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what progress has been made in establishing the Task Force to review homelessness in Scotland which was announced on 17 June.

Answer · Jackie Baillie: I am very pleased to be able to announce that the first meeting of the Task Force will take place on 25 August. Its remit will be:	"To review the causes and nature of homelessness in Scotland; to examine current prac…

29 Jun 1999 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive whether it intends to make a statement on the Report of the Scottish Law Commission on the Abolition of the Feudal System.

Answer · Jim Wallace: First, I would like to congratulate the Scottish Law Commission for an excellent Report, covering a very complex and difficult area of law reform. I believe that they have tackled it in a thorough and imaginative way. I wish to give a clear endorsement of t…

29 Jun 1999 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what its plans are for implementing the Scottish provisions of the Health Act 1999.

Answer · Susan Deacon: The Health Act 1999 is receiving the Royal Assent today. The provisions relating to Scotland complete the abolition of the NHS internal market and provide for added protection for patients and improved measures to tackle fraud. The main Scottish provisions …

29 Jun 1999 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive when it intends to publish its plans for land reform legislation announced as part of the legislative programme for 1999 - 2000.

Answer · Jim Wallace: I shall be publishing a White Paper setting out our proposals for land reform legislation on community ownership and on access next week.The proposed legislation on community ownership will give community bodies the right to buy the land wh…

25 Jun 1999 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive whether it will make a statement on the number of students enrolled at further education colleges in Scotland in 1997-98.

Answer · Henry McLeish: There were 411,408 student enrolments on courses in Scotland's further education colleges in 1997-98. For the future, the Government has promised funding for an additional 40,000 places in FE colleges over the next 3 years.

24 Jun 1999 · General Question

To ask the Scottish Executive whether it will make a statement on the number of students enrolled at further education colleges in Scotland in 1997-98.